The New Generation Sea House

Based in Porth, north Cornwall, this sea house is an inspiration for coastal regions across South Africa. Winner of the 2010 LABC South West Building Excellence Awards for Best Individual Dwelling and designed by Bazeley Architects, this home shows how luxurious living can collide with seaside simplicity.

The UK-based architects have created a large, five-bedroom house that overlooks Porth with expansive views of the ocean and the surrounding area. With a large, extensive property to work with, size is no object. Described as three mono-pitched slate roof elements that give the appearance of smaller structures, the exterior of the house is designed to look smaller and neater in style, contrasting with the large, open plan interior. The interior is styled comfortably and lavishly, with bedrooms and living areas that are decked out with the latest technology and all of the modern elements expected in a trendy, 21st century home.

Let's take a tour of what the new generation sea house looks like…

Full frontal

The Sea House, Porth, Cornwall

From the moment that you see this sea house it's clear that the architects are going for the opposite of the rustic look and feel often associated with beach homes. This is modern and contemporary design at its finest. The space and the levels of the property have been utilised, with a staircase separating the bottom driveway of the home from the upper level of the house itself.

Whites and blues are used for the exterior of the house, which are common colours when it comes to beach houses. However, the architectural structure is grand and beautifully designed, showing how a beach house can evolve from a simple rustic space to an elaborate, modern mansion.

This picture also illustrates the three, mono-pitched slate roof elements, which give an edgy look and feel to the exterior of the house. It also separates the structure of the house, breaking up the size of the physical building. Despite its size and modern design, the house is still simple with clean lines and colours.

Out back

The Sea House, Porth, Cornwall

Looking at the back of the sea house, it's clear to see that the blue and white colour scheme is maintained throughout. Glass doors open up onto a large patio and entertainment area, which blends into the large and expansive property surrounding the house. The outside entertainment areas of the beach house are as important as the inside entertainment areas, due to the surrounding beach views and beauty of the landscape. The rooms purposefully open up to face the sea.

The three separate designs that make up the house are also obvious from this angle, with the left structure tall and long, the middle wide and open and the right structure perched onto the end of the house. The blue and white colours are alternated. This creates an eclectic look and feel.

The wooden patio adds a neutral, warm tone to the home, complementing the surround grass areas. In South Africa, this would work beautifully with the fauna and flora that grows in the coastal regions.

Inside out

The Sea House, Porth, Cornwall

The interior of the home is defined by an open plan design, where living spaces spill out onto the exterior of the home. Here, the open plan living room opens up onto the patio outside. Glass doors separate the two areas, which fold back opening up the two spaces so that they are work in unison.

Natural light is a common feature in this open plan sea house, with sky lights used throughout. This again opens up the house to the outside environment but also creates beautiful, light spaces inside the house. The natural light complements the beautiful, sweeping wooden floors and neutral furniture. The house is meant to feel warm and comfortable.

A rug, comfortable cushions and cosy sofas are used in the lounge for luxury and comfort, while beautiful loungers and patio furniture keep the outside patio a lavish living area.

Comfortable views

The Sea House, Porth, Cornwall

The living room area is just as warm and lavish as the rest of the house.

A fireplace accessorises the room, where a beautiful wood display adds both function and aesthetics to the room. While the open plan style allows for cool, breezy summers as the glass doors roll back to reveal the sea views, in winter the room can still be a warm, comfortable spot to curl up with a book or in front of the television.

A rug complements the blush-coloured furniture, while curtains frame the glass windows. Wooden floors are used throughout the open plan house, creating earthy tones.

The design of the house is centred around the sea views, with rooms such as this one facing the beautiful, vast ocean. Balconies allow this living room as well as all of the first floor bedrooms to open up into the outside surrounds.

Opening up

The Sea House, Porth, Cornwall

This photograph depicts the open plan nature of the house and how the living room and
dining area spills into the kitchen and vice-versa. The beautiful wooden floors
are used here to create the neutral, natural beach look and the white and blue
colours transition from the exterior into the interior.

The
interior décor is simple and effective, with a little bit of colour to brighten
up the look and feel. Modern and funky lights drop down over the dining area,
adding a bit of contemporary style.

The room
opens up into the beautiful, sleek white kitchen – the epitome of the modern
kitchen, which has been described as a bespoke Mark Wilkinson kitchen. It is an open-plan style, with a gorgeous island breakfast bar in the
middle. A large silver double refrigerator and freezer matches the silver
microwave, kettle, toaster and other appliances. This keeps the kitchen looking
clean and contemporary.

Natural light
is utilised this area of the house too, adding a bright and
peaceful element.

Sneak peek

The Sea House, Porth, Cornwall

Exploring the bedroom shows how a touch of luxury has been added to the living areas,
which open up onto sea views.

This bedroom is fitted with beautiful, wooden finishes,
including a head board, side tables and dressing area. A plush carpet is used
on the floor, with dashes of colour in the form of a throw on the bed and an
armchair in the corner of the room.

Despite being a rustic beach house, this one features all of
the bells and whistles in its finishing touches. It's a house that is designed to be enjoyed by many,
with the capacity to sleep 10 people at a time, each of whom should feel the
absolute comfort of this sea house.

A spiral
staircase separates the upstairs bedrooms from the lower level, sweeping down
into the main living area. The architectural plan fuses simple beach living
with the luxury of a five-bedroom, double storey home.

Opening up

The Sea House, Porth, Cornwall

This beautiful view is a wonderful way to end the tour of this modern sea house as
it truly shows how the architecture of the house revolves around the beautiful,
outside sea views.

Wide,
extensive balconies are utilised throughout this home, drawing the bedrooms and
living spaces outside. Beautiful, soft wood is used for this outside patio
which again is large, sweeping and expansive.

Simple
patio furniture is used, which are a rich, chocolate colour that blends into
the soft wood of the patio and the whites and blues of the exterior colours. It
also complements the beige and earthy tones of the interior furniture.

The pivotal
concept of this home is to imagine looking out onto the sea every single day,
right from the comfort and luxury of a beautiful house. The architects have
managed to create a beautiful, peaceful and tranquil looking sea house without
compromising on the luxury, size and modern nature of a home.